A healthcare career with a wide range of opportunities
If you’re exploring different careers in healthcare and aren’t sure what you would want to do, athletic training could be an option to consider.
An athletic trainer is a healthcare professional who works in the “prevention, examination, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of emergent, acute or chronic injuries and medical conditions” (National Athletic Training Association). They work closely with primary care providers, nurses, mental health services, dieticians, and coaches to support patients. Athletic trainers can work in many different settings, including high school, college, and professional sports. They can also work in hospitals, urgent care, physical therapy clinics, the military, and commercial settings. Athletic trainers don’t work exclusively with athletes and don’t train people as fitness professionals do.
Athletic trainers require a graduate degree in a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). A list of colleges and universities that have accreditation programs can be found on the ATCAS (Centralized Application Service for Professional Athletic Training Programs) website. Athletic trainers are trained in injury-prevention measures, clinical examination and diagnosis, emergency care, treatment, rehabilitation, reconditioning procedures, and more.
Being an athletic trainer is a unique opportunity to work with people of all ages and skill levels. This is a career that combines a love of sports with healthcare. This job also gives the opportunity to be a leader and an educator. An important aspect of the job is knowledge of your patients in order to provide care and treatment for their injuries and prevent future injuries. Additionally, athletic training involves knowledge of health and wellness planning, pharmacology, and more. Obtaining an Athletic Training degree allows students to experience multiple aspects of the healthcare field and advance their healthcare career. Networking is a big part of this job and could present other opportunities after graduation as well.